If you’re like most Austinites, grapefruit-flavored liquor has been in your cabinet and cup lately, due in large part to the success of Deep Eddy’s flavors. And if you love those, you’re really going to love this: Austin brand Dulce Vida Spirits is becoming the next local distillery in the flavored spirits game, offering two new varieties infused with real fruit and other natural flavors.
“Consumers today are seeking products free of additives,” Milestone Brands founder and CEO Eric Dopkins told Austin.com. “Dulce Vida Organic Tequila was launched in 2009 to disrupt the tequila category with both an organic tequila and a 100-proof tequila. The vision was to launch a tequila that was pure, powerful, and free of any additives.”
So what flavors are coming to a liquor store near you? Dulce Vida’s lime and grapefruit flavors are the newest low-carb, low-calorie options in Austin, aimed at simplifying your home mixology efforts. Like Deep Eddy’s flavors, Dulce Vida’s tequilas are best enjoyed with a simple mixer like sparkling water, on the rocks, or as chilled shots.
These new flavors add to Dulce Vida’s existing line that includes Blanco, Reposado and Añejo. “Bottled immediately after distillation, Blanco is the most vibrant with notes of citrus with a sweet agave finish,” Milestone Brands said in an August 16 press release. “The most versatile of the three, Dulce Vida Reposado, is aged from nine to 11 months in American oak whisky barrels with refreshing aromas of fruit and caramel and a mild, sweet finish. Full bodied and best experienced as a sipping tequila, Dulce Vida Añejo features aromas of vanilla and cinnamon and is aged up to 24 months in select American oak whisky barrels.”
Dopkins and business partner Chad Auler launched Milestone Brands earlier this year, prior to acquiring Dulce Vida Spirits and American Born Moonshine. Both brands offer something unique to Milestone, and that excites Dopkins and Auler.
“We love brands that have a unique position,” Dopkins said. “We feel Dulce Vida Organic Tequila, having been founded on a 100-proof organic positioning, is unique. We feel that we can build upon the foundation of the brand’s initial strategies and bring ‘the sweet life’ to life.”
These two spirits industry veterans were essential to the success of Deep Eddy Vodka, so the sky’s the limit on Dulce Vida Spirits. Once Dulce Vida hits the big time, you’ll tell your out-of-town friends you knew about their organic tequila back in 2016.
